Paleogene vegetation changes in Primorye, Far East of Russia: A study based on diversity of plant functional types

Abstract

Paleogene vegetation changes in Primorye (Far East of Russia) are studied using the Plant Functional Types (PFT) Approach, for the first time applied on the large palaeobotanical records of this region. The palaeobotanical data for this reconstruction are based on the analysis of 30 palynofloras and 24 leaf floras covering the Early Palaeocene to Late Oligocene. The vegetation reconstruction at the level of PFTs in general points to the presence of mesophytic forest vegetation in Primorye throughout the Paleogene. While in the Palaeocene vegetation of Primorye was of temperate deciduous type, warm temperate‐mixed evergreen‐deciduous forests dominated in the Eocene and Early Oligocene. In the Late Oligocene, the vegetation of Primorye was again primarily deciduous, mixed evergreen‐deciduous forests persisted at places. The observed vegetation patterns and their changes through time in many cases can be correlated with spatial climate patterns and the overall continental palaeoclimate evolution, as recently reconstructed from the same palaeobotanical record. The higher‐than‐present spatial homogeneity of Paleogene vegetation coincides with shallow temperature gradients and a significantly more humid regional rainfall pattern over Primorye during the Paleogene.